Clay Hilligas

a long time jazz collector and jazz fan

About Me

I have two jazz radio shows that I do in Chico, Ca. feel free to
listen.
1. Listen at KZFR 90.1 and www.kzfr.org Sunday nights 5 to 730.
The name of the show is Miles Ahead And Miles Behind. The show is
spontaneously programmed. I will start the show with any significant
birthdays for that day. After that I will cover exactly what the name
says. Anything before Miles Davis and anything after
Miles.
2. Listen at KCHO 91.7 and www.kcho.org. I am on every Wednesday from
9 pm till midnight. This is called Evening Jazz. This has the same
format as my other show.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because...
I was first exposed to jazz...At the age of 7 when I went to see Count
Basie with my father. After the concert I went to go look for a
bathroom and ended up in front of the greenroom. I went inside and
this tall black man at the door said "strange bathroom isn't it." I
was shocked! How did he know I was looking for that? I started to look
around the room and saw Count Basie standing on the other side of the
room. I walked over and towards him and before I could get there he
had noticed me and had stopped his conversation. I thanked him for the
concert and told him how much I had enjoyed the concert. He then took
me by the hand and we went over and sat down and he asked me a bunch
of questions such as: How do you know my music? What was the best part
of the concert? and other questions that I do not remember. At the
time I did not think that the encounter was all that important.
I met [musician name]...Besides Count Basie I have had the opportunity
to meet and talk with a lot of jazz musicians due to my 20+ years in
jazz broadcasting. Such as McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, Steve Turre,
Charlie Haden, Marcus Roberts, Ornette Coleman, and many others.
The best show I ever attended was...Alice Coltrane's last concert with
Ravi Coltrane, Charlie Haden, and Roy Haynes.
The first jazz record I bought was...Theory of Art by Art Blakey And
The Jazz Messengers.
My advice to new listeners...
Or whatever else you have in mind.